NAMES—THEIR DERIVATION.
A.
Aiken. Aik, an oak; en, indicative of an adjective. Oaken.
Auld. Auld, old, ancient, of long duration.
B.
Baude. Baud, bold, courageous, brave.
Bauder. Baud, bold; ere, an agent. A bold person.
Bearne. Bearn, a child, a human creature.
Bent. Bent, long grass, wild fields where bents, etc., grow. Bente, a kindred term.
Bentley. Bent, long grass; líc, like. Resembling bent.
Bicker. Bicker, a kind of wooden dish, a short race.
Birkey. Birkie, a clever fellow.
Bonney. Bonnie, bonny, handsome, beautiful.
Blyth. Blyth, joy, sprightliness, liveliness. Blythe, another spelling of the word.
Bradley. Brade, or braid, broad; líc, like. Broad-like; broadly.
Brauley. Braw, brave; líc, like. Brave-like; bravely.
Brenner. Brenn, burn; ere, an agent. That which burns, or gives light.
Briggs. Brigs, bridges.
Brock. Brock, a badger.
Bunker. Bunker, a window-seat.
Burn. Burn, water, a rivulet.
Burney. Burnie, diminutive of burn, a rivulet. A small rivulet.
Buss. Buss, shelter, refuge, protection. Busse, a kindred name.
Bussell. Bussle, a bustle, great stir, tumultuous hurry.
Butt. Butt, outer room.
Byers. Byres, plural of byre, a cow-stable, a sheep-pen.
C.
Caddy. Caddie, a young person, a young fellow.
Caffey. Caff, chaff; ig, implying an adjective. Chaffy.
Cairns. Cairns, plural of cairn, a loose heap of stones.
Callan. Callan, a boy.
Canny. Cannie, gentle, mild, dexterous.
Carl. Carl, an old man, a churl.
Carlin. Carlin, feminine of carl. A stout old woman.
Cauldwell. Cauld, cold; well, a well. A cold well. Caldwell, Colwell, from the same roots.
Child. Chield, a fellow.
Clapp. Clap, clapper of a mill.
Clater. Clatter, an idle story.
Clash. Clash, an idle tale, the story of the day.
Collie. Collie, a general.
Core. Core, corps, party, clans.
Cotter. Cotter, an inhabitant of a cot-house, or cottage.
Cowton. Cowt, a colt; tún, a house. A colt’s house.
Craft. Craft, in old husbandry, a field near a house, a croft.
Crap. Crap, a crop, to crop.
Crawford. Craw, a rook; ford, a ford. A rook-ford.
Creeley. Creel, a basket; líc, like. Resembling a basket. To have one’s wits in a creel, is to be crazed, to be fascinated.
Crees. Crees, grease.
Crick. Cricke, an ant, any small insect.
Crouse. Crouse, cheerful, courageous.
Curley. Curlie, curled, hair falling naturally in ringlets.
Curling. Curling, a well-known game on ice. In Scotland, where it is practised, the player is called a curler.
D.
Dale. Dale, a plain, a valley. Deal, from the same root.
Dales. Dale, a plain; s for sun, son. Son of Dale.
Daley. Dale, a plain; ig, an adjective termination. Resembling a plain. Dealy, a kindred term.
Dawson. Dawes, days; sun, son. Son of days.
Dearie. Dearie, diminutive of dear, a dear. A little dear.
Dern. Dern, secret, hidden, sequestered.
Dolte. Dolt, stupefied, crazed.
Dool. Dool, sorrow. To sing dool is to lament, to mourn.
Dooley. Dool, sorrow; ig, an adjective termination. Sorrowful.
Doupe. Doupe, the backside, the side or part of anything that is out of sight, or that is not observed.
Douredoure. Doure, stout, durable, sullen, stubborn; doure, stout, durable, etc. Very stout; portly; obstinate.
Dow. Dow, am, or are able.
Dowie. Dowie, worn with grief, fatigue, etc., half asleep.
Dripps. Dreips, or drips, drops.
Duddy. Duddie, ragged.
Dyce. Dyce, dice, checker-work.
E.
Eldridge. Elriche, Elritch, wild, hideous, ghostly, lonesome, uninhabited, except by spectres.
Enburgh. Enbrugh, Edinburgh.
F.
Fae. Fae, a foe, an enemy.
Fallon. Fallan, falling.
Fallows. Fallow, a fellow; s for sun, son. Son of a fellow. Also, fallows, plural of fallow, a fellow.
Faust. Faust, a fault.
Fay. Fay, faith. Faye, of like kinship.
Fell. Fell, keen, biting, the flesh immediately underneath the skin, a moderately level field on the side or top of a hill.
Ferley. Ferley, or ferlie, to wonder, a wonder. Farley, from the same root.
Firth. Firth, or frith, a wood.
Flegel. Fleg, a kicker; el, denoting a personal name. A kicker; an opposer.
Fothergill. Fother, fodder; gill, from giolla, a servant. A fodder-servant.
Fow. Fow, or fou, full, fuddled, drunk.
Fyler. Fyle, to soil, to dirty; ere, an agent. One who soils, or is soiled.
G.
Gaber. Gab, the mouth; ere, an agent. One who uses the mouth; a prattler.
Gair. Gair, gear, dress, goods, effects, stuff.
Gash. Gash, wise, sagacious, talkative.
Gear. Gear, riches, goods of any kind.
Geary. Gear, riches; ig, an adjective termination. Rich; wealthy. Gearey, another spelling.
Glen. Glen, a dale, a deep valley.
Goff. Gowff, the game of Golf. A game played with a ball and a bat. It is a favorite game in Scotland and consists in driving the ball from one hole to another. The person who drives his ball into a hole with the fewest strokes is declared the winner.
Gowdy. Gowd, gould, gold; ig, an adjective termination. Gold-like; resembling gold.
Great. Great, great, intimate, familiar.
Greely. Gree, prize, victory; líc, like. Victorious. Greeley, of like derivation.
Greer. Gree, prize, victory; ere, an agent. One who gains the prize; the victor.
H.
Hagey. Hag, a scar; ig, implying an adjective. Resembling a scar.
Hale. Hale, whole, tight, healthy.
Haly. Haly, holy.
Haldeman. Hald, an abiding place; man, a man. A man that has an abiding place.
Hap. Hap, an outer garment, mantle, plaid. Happ, a kindred term.
Haphold. Hap, a plaid; hold, a captain. A captain invested with his plaid.
Harner. Harn, very coarse linen; ere, an agent. One who makes coarse linen.
Hasher. Hash, a fellow that neither knows how to dress nor act with propriety; ere, an agent. A fellow that does not dress becomingly.
Haugh. Haugh, a low, rich land, a valley.
Haughey. Haugh, a valley; ig, expressing an adjective. Valley-like.
Haughton. Haugh, a valley; tún, a town. A valley-town.
Haverley. Haverel, a half-witted person, half-witted.
Hawkey. Hawkie, a cow, properly one with a white face.
Hearse. Hearse, hoarse, rough, raucous.
Heather. Heather, a heath, a place overgrown with heath, a low shrub belonging to the family of ericaceous plants.
Hecht. Hecht, promised, foretold, the thing promised, or offered.
Heckle. Heckle, a board in which is fixed a number of sharp pins used in dressing hemp, flax, etc. Heckel, a cognate term.
Helm. Helm, rudder of a vessel.
Helmer. Helm, rudder; ere, an agent. One who has the charge of the rudder; a helmsman.
Helmbold. Helm, rudder, helm; bóld, a house. The helmsman’s house; pilot-house.
Helms. Helm, Helm; sun, son. Son of Helm.
Herd. Herd, to tend flocks, one who tends flocks.
Herder. Herd, to tend flocks; ere, an agent. One who tends flocks.
Herry. Herry, to plunder; most properly, to plunder birds’ nests.
Hiney. Hiney, honey.
Hinger. Hing, to hang; ere, an agent. A hanger; a hangman.
Hitch. Hitch, a loop, a knot.
Hoff. Howff, a tippling house, a house of resort.
Hoole. Hool, outer skin or case, a nut-shell, a peascod, a pea-pod.
Hooley. Hoolie, slowly, leisurely.
Horney. Hornie, one of the many names of the devil.
Howe. Howe, hollow, a hollow, or dell.
Howkins. Howkins, diggings.
Howlett. Howlet, an owlet, a small owl.
Hoy. Hoy, to urge, to press forward. Hoye, of like derivation.
Hoyer. Hoy, to urge; ere, an agent. One who urges; an urger.
Hoyt. Hoyte, to amble crazily.
Hushen. Hushion, a cushion.
I.
Ilko. Ilka, each, every.
Ingle. Ingle, fire, fire-place.
K.
Kain. Kain, fowls, etc., paid as rent by a farmer.
Kames. Kames, combs.
Keel. Keel, a raddle.
Keeler. Keel, a raddle; ere, an agent. One who uses a raddle; a weaver.
Keeley. Keel, a raddle; ig, implying an adjective. Raddle-like; resembling a raddle.
Kett. Ket, matted hair, fleece of wool.
Kirk. Kirk, church. Kirke, of similar derivation.
Kirkbride. Kirk, church; bryde, a bride. The church’s bride.
Kirkby. Kirk, church; bý, a habitation. A habitation belonging to the church; a parsonage.
Kirker. Kirk, church; ere, an agent. A churchman.
Kirkham. Kirk, church; hám, house. Church-house.
Kirkland. Kirk, church; land, land. Church-land.
Kirkman. Kirk, church; man, a man. A churchman.
Kirkpatrick. Kirk, church; Patrick, Patrick. Church of St. Patrick.
Kirkwood. Kirk, church; wud, wood. Church-wood.
Kirn. Kirn, the harvest-supper, a churn.
Kitchen. Kitchen, anything that is eaten with bread, or that serves for gravy, soup, etc.
Kittle. Kittle, ticklish, lively, apt. As a verb, it signifies to tickle.
Knapp. Knap, to strike sharply. A smart blow.
Knapper. Knap, to strike sharply; ere, an agent. One who strikes a smart blow.
Kye. Kye, cows.
Kyle. Kyle, a district in Ayrshire. Doubtless from kyel—the equivalent of kye, cows, and el, a personal suffix—a cowherd.
L.
Laddey. Laddie, diminutive of lad, a small lad, or boy.
Laggen. Lagen, the angle between the side and the bottom of a wooden dish.
Lang. Lang, long.
Lear. Lear, learning, knowledge.
Linn. Linn, a water-fall, a precipice.
Lowe. Lowe, a flame.
Lounes. Lounes, plural of loun, a fellow, a ragamuffin, a woman of easy virtue.
Lowrie. Lowrie, abbreviation of Lawrence. Lowry, from the same name. Lawrence, from the Latin, belonging to the laurel; secondarily, victorious.
Lowse. Lowse, to loose.
Lum. Lum, the chimney.
Lunt. Lunt, a column of smoke, to smoke.
M.
Mair. Mair, more.
Malley. Mallie, Molly, nickname for Mary, a Hebrew word signifying bitter.
Mang. Mang, among.
Manse. Manse, the house where the minister lives, the parsonage.
Mavis. Mavis, the thrush.
Maw. Maw, to mow, a mow.
Mawby. Maw, to mow; bý, a house, a habitation. A mow-house; a chamber in a barn where hay is stored.
Mell. Mell, to meddle. Also, a mallet for pounding barley in a stone trough.
Meslin. Meslin, mixed corn.
Muckel. Muckle, great, big, much.
Murney. Murne, mourn; Irish neać, an individual. One that mourns; a mourner.
N.
Napey. Nappy, ale, to be tipsy. Naphey, perhaps, from the same root.
P.
Pack. Pack, intimate, familiar, twelve stone of wool.
Parle. Parle, speech, discourse, conversation.
Pechin. Pechan, the crop, the stomach.
Pickle. Pickle, a small quantity. Pickel, from the same radix.
Pine. Pine, pain, uneasiness.
Plews. Plews, or pleughs, ploughs.
Prigge. Prig, to cheapen, to dispute.
Pund. Pund, pound.
Pyle. Pyle (a pyle o’ chaff), a single grain of chaff.
Q.
Quay. Quay, or quey, a young heifer, a cow from one to two years of age.
R.
Raible. Raible, to rattle nonsense.
Rash. Rash, a rush.
Reamer. Ream, cream, to cream; ere, an agent. One who skims the cream from anything.
Reck. Reck, to heed.
Redwood. Red-wud, stark mad.
Reid. Reid, a reed.
Reider. Reid, to advise; ere, an agent. One that advises; an adviser.
Reidy. Reid, a reed; ig, indicating an adjective termination. Reedy.
Rever. Rever, robber, pirate, rover.
Rief. Rief, or reef, plenty, abundance, randies, sturdy beggars.
Rigby. Rig, a ridge; bý, a habitation. A ridge-house.
Riggs. Rigs, plural of rig, a ridge.
Rink. Rink, the course of the stones, a term in curling on ice.
Ripley. Rip, a handful of unthreshed corn; líc, like. Resembling a handful of unthreshed corn.
Ripp. Rip, a handful of unthreshed corn.
Routh. Routh, or rowth, plenty, abundance.
Rung. Rung, a cudgel. Runge, of like kinship.
Runger. Rung, a cudgel; ere, an agent. A cudgeller.
S.
Saul. Saul, soul. Saull, from the same root.
Sauter. Saut, salt; ere, an agent. One who salts; a salter.
Sax. Sax, six.
Scarborough. Scar, a cliff; beorh, a burrow. A cliff-burrow.
Shaw. Shaw, to show, a small wood in a hollow.
Sheen. Sheen, bright, shining.
Sheetz. Sheits, or shetes, sheets.
Shiel. Shiel, a shed.
Shill. Shill, shrill.
Shur. Shure, did shear, shore. Shurr, from the same root.
Siller. Siller, silver, money.
Simmer. Simmer, summer.
Simmers. Simmer, Simmer; s for sun, son. Son of Simmer.
Skerl. Skirl, to shriek, to cry shrilly.
Slade. Slade, did slide.
Slaw. Slaw, slow, tardy.
Smithers. Smithers, smothers.
Snell. Snell, bitter, biting.
Soutter. Souter, a shoemaker.
Speel. Speel, to climb.
Spier. Spier, to ask, to inquire.
Stang. Stang, an acute pain, a twinge, to sting.
Stangle. Stang, to sting; el, expressive of a personal name. That which stings.
Stant. Stant, to stand.
Stark. Stark, stout, stiff.
Steane. Stean, or stane, a stone.
Stell. Stell, a still.
Swank. Swank, stately, jolly. A tight, strapping young fellow or girl was called a swankie, or swanker.
T.
Taine. Taine, or tane, a token.
Tifft. Tift, a puff of wind.
Toomey. Toom, empty; ig, expressive of an adjective. Empty; unoccupied.
W.
Waley. Walie, ample, large, jolly.
Wambold. Wam, the womb, the belly; bóld, a house, a habitation. The womb-house; the abdomen.
Ward. Ward, watch, sentinel.
Wark. Wark, work.
Warley. Warly, worldly, eager in amassing wealth. Warlley, a cognate term.
Warris. Warris, wars.
Whidden. Whidden, running as a hare or cony.
Wicht. Wicht, powerful, strong, inventive, of superior genius.
Wiel. Wiel, a small whirlpool.
Wrangham. Wrang, wrong, to wrong; hám, a house. A wrong home; a wronged house.
Y.
Yerkes. Yerkes, or yerks, present indicative third person singular of yerk, to lash, to jerk. Lashes; jerks.
Yetter. Yett, a gate; ere, an agent. One who has charge of a gate; a gate-keeper. Yett was usually applied to a gate that commanded the entrance to a farm-yard or a field.